Thousands of people protested in Hong Kong on Sunday over a proposed law change that would allow suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial. Officials say they need to amend the law before July so that they can extradite a murder suspect to Taiwan. Demonstrators – some marching with umbrellas – fear Beijing is trying to exert more… Read more »
Indonesia is moving its capital city away from Jakarta, according to the country’s planning minister. Bambang Brodjonegoro said President Joko Widodo had chosen to relocate the capital in “an important decision”. The new location is not yet known. However state media reports one of the front runners is Palangkaraya, on the island of Borneo. Jakarta, home to over 10 million… Read more »
Calls for Australia to repay a year’s worth of oil and gas revenue revenue to Timor-Leste will not be considered by the Labor party before the election, Penny Wong has said. Wong, the shadow minister for foreign affairs, expressed disappointment that the historic maritime border treaty – signed in March 2017 at the United Nations – had not been ratified. Last week Guardian Australia… Read more »
A blind Japanese sailor on Saturday successfully completed a near two-month, non-stop voyage from San Diego to Fukushima prefecture, making him the first to make a so-called blind sailing Pacific Ocean crossing. Joined by a sighted navigator, it was 52-year-old Mitsuhiro Iwamoto’s second two-handed attempt at the 14,000-kilometre journey. His first ended when his boat hit a whale and sank…. Read more »
The role I played in the simulation was for sure a more passive one. I found myself doing a lot of the behind the scene work and solving logistical problems. I feel like every delegation needed someone who was level-headed and able to connect and help solve problems with the other delegations. I think I was that key member for… Read more »
On Sunday, the U.S. military sent two Navy warships, the William P. Lawrence and Stethem, through the Taiwan Straight to show their support for Taiwan. The Taiwan Straight is located north of the South China Sea, an unclaimed sea that is disputed over by China and other Pacific islands. While the United States does not have formal ties with Taiwan,… Read more »
OTTAWA (Reuters) – The leaders of Canada and Japan on Sunday touted the benefits of a Pacific trade deal that U.S. President Donald Trump walked away from and said the pact should serve as a model for future agreements. The landmark 11-country trade deal, a revamped version of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), came into force last December. It does not… Read more »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. military said it sent two Navy warships through the Taiwan Strait on Sunday as the Pentagon increases the frequency of movement through the strategic waterway despite opposition from China. The voyage risks further raising tensions with China but will likely be viewed by self-ruled Taiwan as a sign of support from the Trump administration amid growing… Read more »
Global pandemics that impact on food supplies are scary things. The latest threat comes from African swine fever, a highly contagious virus with no known cure, and a near zero survival rate for infected pigs. The good news is that the disease is not harmful to human health. The bad news is that it will probably hurt our wallets. The… Read more »
Thousands of people protested in Hong Kong over a proposed law change that would allow suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial. Officials say they need to amend the law before July so that they can extradite a murder suspect to Taiwan. Demonstrators – some marching with umbrellas – fear Beijing is trying to exert more power over the… Read more »